Companies with sustainability in their DNA are more resilient and make a better business model for success and long term growth. In the mid-1990s, building sector was seen as "destroying before constructing", CDL as a pioneering developer was determined to change this perception and committed to transforming our business strategy to one that "conserves as we construct" for long term sustainability. From design, construction, procurement, maintenance and even user engagement, the entire cycle has been aligned with environmental sustainability in mind - Kwek Leng Joo, Managing Director, CDL[1]. It was January 2013, and Esther An, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and General Manager (Corporate Affairs) of City Developments Limited (CDL), was busy in meetings with the members of her CSR Committee, planning key strategies for CDL's proposed sustainability framework for the coming year. CDL was one of Singapore's leading international property and hotel conglomerates, involved in real estate development and investment, hotel ownership and management, facilities management and the provision of hospitality solutions. The group had developed over 22,000 luxurious and quality homes in Singapore, catering to a wide range of market segments. In addition, its London-listed subsidiary Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc (M&C) owned and managed over 100 hotels spanning 70 locations in 19 countries. CDL was widely recognised as a champion of sustainable practices in Singapore. It was the first company to be honoured with the President's Social Service Award and President's Award for the Environment in 2007. It was also the only developer to be accorded the Built Environment Leadership Platinum Award in 2009 and Green Mark Platinum Champion Award in 2011 by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the governing authority for Singapore's built environment. CDL was the first Singaporean company to be listed on all three of the world's top sustainability benchmarks - FTSE4Good Index Series since 2002, Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World since 2010 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes since 2011. It was a founding member of Singapore Compact for CSR, and one of the pioneer Singapore signatories of the United Nations Global Compact to lend support to the advancement of responsible corporate citizenship in Singaporean industry. How could CDL reinforce the culture of sustainability that it prided itself on? What could it do to increase awareness of their sustainability vision in the stakeholders? How would they influence stakeholders to adopt sustainability best practices? These were questions that An hoped to find solutions for in the meetings with her CSR team. CDL CDL was founded in 1963, with the purpose of acquiring, developing and selling property. The company went public in the same year, and its shares were listed on what was then known as the Malayan Stock Exchange. In 1965, CDL completed its first housing project in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and also launched its first condominium, Clementi Park, in 2013, Hwang Soo Chiat & Havovi Joshi Disclaimer. This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision making. The author/s may have disguised names; financial and other recognizable information to protect confidentiality. DOI 10.1108/EEMCS-11-2013-0049 VOL. 3 NO. 8 2013, pp. 1-23, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2045-0621 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 1 Singapore. This was followed by the 1966 launch of its first high-rise residential development in Singapore, City Towers. In 1972, the Hong Leong Group acquired a controlling interest in CDL and embarked on strategic diversification into commercial and industrial developments. CDL then acquired more investment and development properties such as Tanglin Shopping Centre, Katong Shopping Centre, and Queensway Shopping Centre and The Arcade. It thus emerged as a major property developer in Singapore. The company soon after ventured into the hotel business. The 1990s witnessed a period of rapid expansion and regionalisation. CDL's hospitality arm, M&C, which was the first Singaporean company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange, expanded to become one of the largest hotel owners and operators in the world. These milestones saw CDL embark on a substantial growth path, and in 2010, the group's profit before tax surpassed the S$1 billion (US$0.8 billion[2]) mark. By end 2012, CDL had an extensive global network that included over 300 subsidiaries and associated companies across more than 80 locations in 20 countries. Further, five companies were listed on the stock exchanges in New Zealand, Hong Kong, London and Philippines. For the financial year ending 31 December 2012, CDL recorded revenue of US$2.72 billion with profit after tax of US$699 million[2]. Sustainability in Singapore An commented: CSR is fast becoming a licence to operate in some areas. For example, in 2005 the ''Green Mark'' was launched. But in 2008, the basic certification level of Green Mark was made mandatory that any new development must meet that standard. In 2005, the BCA Green Mark Scheme was launched by the Singapore Government as an initiative to drive Singapore's construction industry towards more environment-friendly buildings. It was intended to ''promote sustainability in the built environment and raise environmental awareness among developers, designers and builders when they started project conceptualisation and design, as well as during construction'' (Building and Construction Authority, 2013). Then in 2009, in another key development, the Singapore Government, in consultation with its people, came out with a Sustainability Blueprint. It defined sustainable development for Singapore as growing the city state in a way that (Singapore Government, 2013): B Was efficient: develop with less resources and waste. B Was clean: develop without polluting our environment. B Was green: develop while preserving greenery, waterways and our natural heritage. Listed companies were encouraged to adopt sustainability reporting, with the release of the Singapore Exchange Policy Statement on Sustainability Reporting in June 2011, which stated that: (I)ssuers should assess and disclose the environmental and social aspects of their organisational performance, in addition to the financial and governance aspects that are already part of the customary and regulatory disclosure practiced. In May 2012, the Monetary Authority of Singapore stated that sustainability should be considered as part of corporate governance and directors ought to consider sustainability issues, such as environmental and social factors, as part of their strategic formulation (refer to Exhibit 1 for regulatory developments in Singapore). However, Christie Lee, Manager, CSR, CDL commented, ''The push to CSR is still not that big in Singapore. In fact, many companies have little understanding of CSR and sustainability.'' PAGE 2 j EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIESj VOL. 3 NO. 8 2013 CSR at CDL This is CDL's 50th anniversary. In 1999, our MD spearheaded the work improvement plan, which involved all the CDL staff. The idea was that we must brainstorm within the organisation. We talked about global warming then, and we recognised that energy, particularly increasing electricity costs, was a key issue. At that time, there was no green mark or any real push from the government. So it was our own initiative to cut down our carbon footprint. We were the pioneer and the first to receive the Green Mark Gold award for existing buildings in 2005 - Anthony Goh, Deputy General Manager, Property and Facilities Management. The seeds for CDL's endeavours in developing new benchmark for CSR excellence can be traced to almost 50 years ago to the mid-1960s, based on its founder's firm belief that the success of the company should be shared with the community. However, it was years later, around the mid-1990s, that the company's CSR vision: To be a leader in business and a champion of CSR, along with its CSR Mission: To be a responsible corporate citizen who believes in creating value for stakeholders, conducting sustainable business practices (SBP), caring for the community and protecting the environment, was integrated with its business and operations. CSR was promoted after taking into account a broad range of stakeholder engagement from several parties such as CDL's investors, customers, employees, contractors, suppliers and the community (refer to Exhibit 2 for the CSR philosophy). Soon after, the company also began to develop and adopt international benchmark and standards for reporting, which led to further awards and achievements (refer to Exhibit 3 for CDL's sustainability rankings, benchmarking and awards). In 2005, CDL became a founding committee member of Singapore Compact for CSR, which was (and continued to be) a national society promoting CSR among the business community through awareness dialogue and workshops. In the same year, it also became one of the founding Singapore signatories of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact to lend support to the advancement of responsible corporate citizenship in Singapore. By 2011, CDL had been selected as an index component in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (worldwide and in Asia Pacific), which were the first global indices to track the financial performance of leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. It thus was the only Singapore property developer to be listed on both the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and FTSE4Good Index Series. CDL was also the only Singapore company to be ranked amongst the ''Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World'' for three consecutive years (refer to Exhibit 4 for Global 100 methodology). In 2012, CDL became one of the five founding members of the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD) in Singapore - which had been established as a membership organisation comprising leading local businesses and the regional arms of international companies, with the objective ''to work with businesses locally to help foster economic development in harmony with environmental preservation and social development''[3]. CDL's CSR strategy CDL had a well-developed and rejuvenating corporate strategy which was entrenched in the triple bottom line (TBL) approach. This implied developing properties that were sustainable, functional and financially marketable. The three pronged approach was as follows: 1. developing quality and environmentally sustainable properties (refer to Exhibit 5); 2. managing properties in a cost efficient and energy efficient way (refer to Exhibit 6); and VOL. 3 NO. 8 2013 j EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIESj PAGE 3 3. influencing stakeholders through outreach initiatives, working closely with government agencies and non-governmental organisations (refer to Exhibit 7). There were many reasons that CDL's CSR strategy was successful. The company clearly had a passion for CSR, which was far beyond legislative requirement. Allen Ang, Deputy General Manager, Projects commented: At the project departments, our role is to develop residential and commercial properties and hand them over to our customers on time, within budget and in good quality. We define the sustainability context ''as conducting responsible business operations at a level over and above the statutory and regulatory requirements''. We are very mindful of the impact that our development activities have on the environment. Globally, one third of greenhouse gases are contributed by the building sector. Large amounts of energy and water are consumed, and construction generates a lot of wastes, noise and dust. How do we mitigate this, and how do we address the safety and health of the workers? We approach all these concerns and more with a very integrated approach. From planning to design, and right through to procurement and construction - our job is to ensure that as we build, the impact of our operations on the environment, health and safety (or EHS), is mitigated. We have very stringent ''Green Procurement guidelines'' that covers sustainable design and construction. In the procurement of our contractors and consultants, they must be committed to upholding high EHS standards. Our contractors must not have any fatalities as well for the past 1 year. Similarly, we have stringent requirements for the procurement of suppliers and materials: materials with green label, ''green'' concrete, energy efficient air-conditioners, etc. that we use for projects. These materials and equipment may be more expensive than the normal ones, however we believe that besides mitigating the potential impact on the environment, the use of such materials and equipment will also translate into tangible benefits for the end-users. In the area of social impact on account of employees' health and safety too, the company clearly aspired to make a strong positive impact on its stakeholders. A culture of leadership At CDL, we recognise that we are living in an interdependent world. Business leadership will not be sustained without stewardship in both social and environmental aspects. CSR is not a theory but an important management approach to achieve good TBL, do good and do well at the same time for long term sustainability. If applied strategically, practising CSR will certainly add value to the business and achieve long term growth and sustainability. Currently, the uptake of CSR amongst Singapore companies remains slow as many still see CSR as a cost. Based on our humble experience at CDL, we see CSR as an investment and we have indeed reaped tremendous benefits in both tangible and intangible ways. Most importantly, we are happy to say that while we operate to meet the needs of the present, we are not compromising the ability of our future generations to meet their needs - Esther An, Head of CSR and General Manager (Corporate Affairs), CDL. Ang commented: We were among the very first to adopt the ''Green Mark'' scheme. This stems from our top management's commitment and firm advocacy of EHS. They have clearly supported the implementation of green design and features in our projects, agreeing to allocating 2-5% construction costs of a new development for such features and innovations in our developments [. . .]. We have a very open and supportive top management in terms of innovation and CSR. As a market leader, we believe we must do things that others don't do. This differentiates us. And what others do, we must do better. That's how we started this EHS journey and began driving innovations in every of our developments, so as to be a leader in our field. Every project we want at least one innovation that no one else has done. This is our personal KPI - that we should be a leader in our field. An example of one such innovation is the implementation of a home energy management system for one of our developments that helps the home owner monitor their overall energy consumption and control their air-conditioner units individually through their I-pads. Organisational structure as a key CSR enabler In 2008, CDL formally established a framework listing CDL's significant CSR issues and the core stakeholders involved. In a significant CSR development, it established the CSR Committee to better align its CSR initiatives with the company's business strategy. The CSR Committee comprised senior managers from the company, and reported directly to the PAGE 4 j EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIESj VOL. 3 NO. 8 2013 Managing Director Kwek Leng Joo. It was responsible for CDL's CSR key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets, and formulating and managing programmes to improve its social and environmental performance in the areas of focus. These key CSR areas of focus were the environment, employee relations, corporate governance and risk management, stakeholder relations and community. The culture is such that missing a KPI is not deemed a failure, but a case for providing positive reinforcement. Excellent reporting and communication standards CDL was one of the few companies in Singapore that produced dedicated sustainability reports. The report was externally validated by Ere-S, a consulting company that specialised in business sustainability and provided services in the domains of sustainability reporting, sustainability report assurance, stakeholder engagement and CSR training. CDL's SR was also GRI certified[4]. CDL's sustainability report clearly measured its performance in terms of ''achieving business excellence while maintaining good social and environmental performance''. The report touched upon various dimensions in each of these three spheres - financial, environment and social (refer to Exhibit 8 for an extract of CDL's sustainability report 2012). CDL also ensured that their contractors had in place a comprehensive sustainability monitoring and reporting system. Every month contractors had to submit the EHS performance of their respective worksites for monitoring purposes. CDL's project managers would monitor the EHS performance of their respective projects individually. At the departmental level, various sub-committees headed by their project managers monitored and championed the various aspects related to EHS, such as energy consumption and workplace safety and occupational health. CDL had also started carbon accounting[5], and were the fore-runner in the industry. Project managers provided the collated EHS performance from worksites to CDL's EHS manager. At the corporate level, the EHS manager consolidated and monitored all CO2 data for reporting purposes. Interestingly, even while managing their database of reports, CDL was driven to ''go green''. As Ms Foo Chui Mui (Assistant General Manager, Customer Relations) commented: We have really cut down on the use of paper. Over the years, we have cut down our paper consumption. For instance, only the final report is retained, and that too is kept at a shared drive to maintain transparency while keeping everyone on the same page. Training as a means to ensure adherence to CSR standards When CDL started to embark on the sustainability journey, there was a general lack of knowledge and acceptability of sustainability by the consultants, contractors and other stakeholders. CDL had to source for information and build up its knowledge from the internet and other sources. Workshops were then conducted with its stakeholders to obtain their buy-in to go green by pitching the fact that they were also partners in the project. CDL continued to conduct quarterly EHS training. Both internal and external experts were invited to conduct talks on topics which included waste management, water and energy conservation, and other related issues. CDL also conducted monthly complex management meeting where experts were invited to share their views, new innovative products, and other pertinent ideas. Further, Mabel Wong, Senior Manager, Property and Facilities Management commented, ''More than half of our PFM managers in charge of operations are Green Mark managers''. CDL's commitment to CSR Multiple drivers for CSR continue to strengthen globally. Total assets managed under Carbon Disclosure Project have grown dramatically from US$4.5 trillion in 2003 to US$78 trillion in March VOL. 3 NO. 8 2013 j EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIESj PAGE 5 2012 with 235 companies responding in 2003 compared to 3,715 in 2011. The growing climate change-related regulations make CSR not simply a ''good to have'' item but a licence to operate. It is becoming more apparent that companies who have yet to embrace the significance of sustainability issues have placed themselves in an increasingly vulnerable position, putting their operations at risk, if they have limited expertise and contingency plans to manage the fast emerging social, political and economic scenarios. In the face of a changing business environment and mind-set, it is a matter of time before the turn of tide occurs - Kwek Leng Joo, Managing Director, CDL (Kwek Leng, 2013). CDL was clearly committed to maintaining and advocating commitment towards CSR. This often went far beyond what competition did. In an interesting example of the same, Ang said: We are probably the only developer in Singapore who conducts a bio-diversity impact study for undeveloped sites with existing natural habitats and sites in close proximity to natural habitats, before the site is being developed. At our ''Rainforest Executive Condo'', a biodiversity impact study was conducted when the site was purchased in 2011. In the course of the site assessment, a nest belonging to a pair of nesting white-bellied sea eagles was discovered on an existing tree. We were advised that the tree where the nest was located should not be retained due to its poor condition, so we called on experts from the Bird Park to advise us on the appropriate measures to be taken. Eventually, we worked with the main contractor to re-sequence their construction and work around the existing tree until the young offspring hatched and grew strong enough to be able to fly off on their own. The culture was such that a virtuous circle of sustainability appeared to have been established, where each employee was pushing themselves and the other to achieve newer heights. Wong commented: We are all always aligning ourselves to the corporate mission, and personal KPIs are set for our department far beyond what is required. We have to keep updating our KPIs annually [. . .] We all walk the talk, all the way from top-down. Balancing the costs with tangible benefits To truly grow as a business, we need to develop the right balance between financial performance, environmental stewardship and social engagement - CDL Sustainability Report, 2012 (CDL, 2013). CDL perceived some very tangible benefits of its sustainability initiatives. For instance, there was an estimated S$19.7 million (US$16 million[2]) in annual energy savings for 37 Green Mark Awarded Buildings during the time period 2008-2011. Similarly, the buyers of residential properties too typically enjoyed substantial energy and water savings. An example was the ''Oceanfront @ Sentosa Cove'' which was the first private residential development to be awarded the BCA Green Mark Platinum in 2007, demonstrating savings of 30 per cent in energy and water. Similarly, it was found that residents could enjoy average annual energy savings of up to SG$1,000 (US$ 813[2]) on account of energy efficient airconditioners in their apartments. There were clearly distinct benefits of going green for the real estate sector[6]. To begin with, the company expected average expected savings of 10 per cent in operating expenses and 17 per cent in energy consumption from the retrofitting, and commercial buildings could increase their capital value by about 2 per cent. Second, the investment in achieving Green Mark certification was not high, and the cost of the retrofit as a percentage of the current market value of the property was about 0.5 per cent for retail and 1 per cent for offices. Finally, the upfront cost of retrofitting energy inefficient buildings could be recovered within seven years. However, it was recognised that there was a clear cost associated with going green, which has to be managed. Lenny Tan, Assistant Manager, Projects commented, ''Construction costs have risen steadily over the years. This is a challenge that we need to work around while maintaining our philosophy and commitment towards sustainability''. Ang elaborated: With the market getting more competitive, we have to strategize how to achieve cost effectiveness for our green investment. One of the most effective strategies is to adopt passive PAGE 6 j EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIESj VOL. 3 NO. 8 2013 low energy architectural design. Buildings should be designed to minimise external heat gain and maximise day-lighting and natural ventilation. This concept is always emphasised to our architects as a first point of consideration. We influence and educate these architects to adopt our philosophy. Tan further added: We have an EHS risk register that cuts across the design and construction phases. The individual project manager prepares an EHS risk assessment at the start of every new project to assess the impact of the development activities on the neighbours and other impacts related to safety, energy efficiency, road traffic, etc. This is then handed over to the consultant to address and mitigate the risks in their design. Any residual risk not addressed in the design is then highlighted to the contractor to be properly addressed in their construction stage risk assessment. The consultants and the contractors are also required to present their EHS risk assessments to the project teams and our internal colleagues and explain their strategy to mitigate the EHS risks identified. The Singapore Government had commenced handing out a number of grants to promote sustainability. However, as Goh commented: We have ''missed out'' on some grants as we do (sustainability initiatives) before the grants are available. We are doing it for the general good and we are way ahead of the pack. So this becomes our KPI - to strive for further improvement each year. Enabling competitive advantage - reputational CDL believed that practising CSR had helped differentiate their branding and product, particularly given the company's long standing commitment and consistent approach towards encouraging the same. An clarified: We take a long term view in our CSR commitment and practices for sustainability - financial, social and environmental. However, given the low level of green consumerism as at date, the competitive advantage of a green product or green home or space were still limited. But with the increased awareness of climate change, we are seeing some progress in the preference of green products. Catherine Loh, Deputy General Manager, Head, Corporate Secretarial Services stated that: Being a high profile listed company, our reputation especially as a CSR advocate and pioneer is at risk every day, whether arising from internal or external factors in connection with the implementation of our strategies in our day-to-day operations. With the increase in the number of our stakeholders, we are constantly aware that our risk management policies and practices have to be continually reviewed and updated in a timely manner, to safeguard the interests of our stakeholders, our assets and our reputation. CSR at CDL: what next? In 2010, in an effort to embrace a holistic approach to CSR and go beyond compliance initiatives, CDL undertook a self-assessment of its CSR performance. This was based on the principles of ISO 26000: guidance on social responsibility, which included accountability, transparency, ethical behaviour, respect for stakeholder interests, respect for the rule of law, respect for the international norms of behaviour and respect for human rights. The core subjects listed by ISO 26000 were organisational governance, human rights, labour practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues and community involvement and development. Based on the above results, CDL incorporated a human rights corporate statement, enhanced its employee engagement, whistle-blowing policy, corporate governance and involvement in community development projects. It was important to An that CSR at CDL had to set new benchmark in sustainable development by doubling its efforts to meet stakeholders' expectations, and achieve global standards in sustainability through innovation, rigorous assessment and communication of the outcomes (Kwek Leng, 2013). New programs had to be initiated to draw in a wider audience, and the importance of CSR had to be advocated and disseminated to a wider range of stakeholders. VOL. 3 NO. 8 2013 j EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIESj PAGE 7 Looking ahead, CDL remained firmly committed to CSR, and aspired to bring it to the next level as the environment and marketplace evolved rapidly. An and the team were already strategizing the right move to achieve the above.

In this case study:

1) Find and Name 3 management problems

2) What the causes of the problems

3) Why is it danger

4) The solution of the problems

5) The reason of the solution